Rugged Hills Nature Reserve
Toodyay
Directions - Rugged Hills Nature Reserve is located north west of Toodyay in the Avon Valley, about an hour east of Perth. From the centre of town head west along Julimar Road, taking a right turn onto Kane Road. Turn right at the T-junction to join Wilkinson Road, following that around until you reach another T-junction with Ridley Circle. Turn right and follow this until you see a small flora sign on your right pointing you down a gravel road. The entry to the reserve is at the end of the road, with a small area for parking.
The Hike - With a day in the June 2024 long weekend set aside to explore the area around Toodyay, I had enjoyed a nice warm-up hike at Majestic Heights, before moving on to the wonderfully named Rugged Hills Nature Reserve. Being a much bigger reserve, I was hoping to be immersed a little more into nature, so was excited to see the area around it full of lovely bushland. Google Maps had directed me to turn into a random driveway on the left of Ridley Circle, which I had a bit of a chuckle at, as the owner of the property had a Bibbulmun Wauygl on their fencepost. A good omen for the walk perhaps.
Finally arriving at the correct location, I found a spot to park and set about gathering my things. Another good omen for what I was about to see was a Twenty-eight having a grand old time in a nearby tree. Ready to go, this rugged explorer was looking forward to tackling Rugged Hills Nature Reserve. I love the old CALM style wooden signs for these nature reserves, and Rugged Hills has a few dotted around the place. Being a loop, the decision was up to me for the direction I wanted to take, and after surveying the area, I decided to head clockwise, walking up the hill to start with. The trail around Rugged Hills follows a series of old vehicle tracks near the perimeter, while not the most engaging trail design, at least allows access to the reserve without too much disturbance. There are no trail markers here, so it's best to have the map downloaded on your phone if you're not great with directions.
As I mentioned in the Majestic Heights post, we had just come off one of the hottest autumns on record, with no significant rain for about eight months, paired with daily temperatures in the high 20s/early 30s right up until the end of May. Majestics Heights had shown signs of the stresses that this has put on the landscape, and early on it was the same at Rugged Hills. While not entirely unusual for some of the younger plants to die off during a hot summer, the larger trees through this first section seemed to have sheltered the area from the worst of it. Walking up the first hill, it's not as long as it looks, and before long you are right among the mature Jarrah trees, with the undergrowth full of Balgas. Over the hill, the scenery starts to change, with the introduction of the Wandoo, and a more spaced out undergrowth. I love walking through the Wandoo, as the golden trunks are super photogenic when the wildflowers aren't in bloom.
Now walking downhill, this was very pleasant, with lots of Wandoo around, a curve to the vehicle track, and an early season wildflower that I've identified as Styphelia epacridis. These little red tubular shaped flowers are always some of the first to appear in late autumn and early winter, and to me signal the start of the hiking season when I'm exploring a WalkGPS route east of Perth. Doing a little dip and then rise, I heard something in the bushes to my left, and sure enough there was a Kangaroo grazing behind some thicker undergrowth. Getting as close as I could, I got an out of focus shot before it bounded away. Rising up the hill, this was the start of a bountiful area for my new found hobby of bird watching, otherwise known as twitching or birding. With a new (used) 18-300mm lens purchased over the autumn, it suits me perfectly for hiking, as I can get the wide landscape shots, and the close-up wildlife shots.
It's not perfect by any means, with the images not as sharp as the specialty lenses, but it's a compromise I'm willing to accept to not have to worry about the hassle of both carrying multiple lenses, and then switching between them all the time. One of my first sightings was a Tree Martin on a dead branch, and this was the first time seeing one of these birds, although I didn't know it at the time. Starting to descend again, the views through the tree line of distant lands was a nice scene, and it makes sense given this is Rugged Hills. The Wandoo through here was really pleasant, with a few Zamia Palms providing a deep green colour to the edge of the trail. Reaching the bottom of this little hill, you arrive at the edge of private property bordering the reserve. I kept moving through here, feeling a bit weird staring into people's backyards but I guess that's what you get for living there.
Just up ahead was a tunnel of vegetation and some larger trees that provided a bounty of different bird calls that I had to stop for. Scanning the bushes and trees, I managed to spot six different species within a short distance, including a bird I'd been wanting to see for a while now, the Purple Crowned Lorikeet. Known as the Cowara to the Noongar people, the town of Cowaramup near Margaret River is named after it, not after cows as you might think. Along with the Cowara there was a Red-Capped Parrot, Twenty-eight, Galah, Rufous Treecreeper, Southern Weebil and Dusky Woodswallow. Being out of wildflower season, birding has added another element to my hikes, and it's always great to see a new species while you're out. Continuing on, you head back towards the middle of the reserve to cross a dry creek and descend to the lowest point on the trail.
Around here was a flowering patch of Drosera, with their small white flowers providing a nice feature to photograph. I had been hoping to find some Winter Spider Orchids, and the small white flowers did get me excited to start with, until I realised they weren't what I was looking for. Walking along the western edge of the reserve, you start a gentle climb, with private property to your left, and bushland to your right that had clearly not faired well over the summer. There was lots of reds and oranges of dead leaves throughout the undergrowth, and this continued right up to the northern border, where you turn right. It seems the She-Oak region of the reserve was worst hit, and it was sad to see given how long it will take to recover, if it does at all. Continuing to climb as I turned to walk east, I reached a point where the Wandoo Woodlands returned and the dead undergrowth disappeared.
After a bit of mixed woodland, including some really thick boi Marri trees, Wandoo became the dominant species. Happy to be back among pleasant scenery, I reached the vehicle track that divides the reserve in two, which can also be used to do a shorter loop if you want to. From here until the finish was the best walking of the reserve, with open woodland filled with girthy trunks of golden Wandoo, along with patches of Grass Trees to provide a bit of variety. I imagine this area would be fantastic in spring, and I will certainly be returning one day. Starting to descend once again, I was ambling more than walking, given how pretty the scenery was. Perched on the edge of the hill, there were limited views looking off to the north, but just enough to spark something in my imagination about what might be out there (farmland mostly). Unlike the western part of the reserve, the eastern part meanders around a lot more, so feels more engaging. The excellent Wandoo continued as I started to loop back towards the start.
At one point I glanced to my right and could see a clumping of almost green coloured boulders. Curious, I headed off track to investigate and was soon staring at the moss and lichen covered rocks, impressed with the colouring. Returning to the vehicle track, I turned back to the west and began the final section of the walk as it headed to the car park. The vehicle track winds up and down small hills, surrounded by you guessed it, lovely Wandoo. Coming across a small area that has been fenced off, I assume this is a patch being used for research or rehabilitation. Climbing up the hill to finish, I was soon at the gate leading into the reserve, extremely pleased with what I had seen. I decided to call it a day after this hike, and return again in late winter or spring when there would be plenty of wildflowers about. Having not spotted a Winter Spider Orchid yet, I knew of one location near Toodyay where they would be, and I was lucky to see one of the last for the season. They are super tiny, about the size of your thumbnail, so I wasn't surprised I didn't see any on my other two hikes.
Final Thoughts - A much better hiking experience than Majestic Heights, I had tempered my expectations given it was still early in the hiking season, and we'd had a hot, dry summer.
That being said, it doesn't take much for me to find joy in a hike, and the combination of stunning Wandoo Woodland and a variety of different birds made for an enjoyable couple of hours.
I'd be interested in seeing how the western side of the reserve bounces back, so will have to return in the next couple of years, perhaps to do some orchid appreciation in spring.
If you're looking for a shorter walk in the reserve, I'd recommend doing a half loop on the eastern side, using the vehicle track that runs through the middle to get back to the car park.
Get out there and experience it!
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